Rhetorical Analysis Of Franklin Roosevelt's Speech

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected as the 32nd president of the United States in 1932, the third year of the worst economic depression in America's history. At the height of The Great Depression about 25% of America's workforce was unemployed, and the country was crying out for change. This is what he promised in the inaugural address he gave on March 3, 1933: change. He gave his speech to show the hearts and minds of the people of the USA that they will come back from this great hardship. Franklin Delano Roosevelt used a powerful yet sympathetic tone of voice, dramatic pauses for emphasis, and plan to change how the country operated, in his Inaugural Address to reassure the nation that they will come back from the Great Depression.

“A date which will live in infamy” is a phrase most associated with this day. An unprovoked attack aimed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 left the nation vulnerable to various outside powers. Franklin Delano Roosevelt knew the vital importance of creating and leading a crusade, so his purpose in addressing the nation was to declare war against Japan and rally the support of the citizens of America. Until the devastating bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japan had been considered an ally. Roosevelt’s speech was about bringing justice to the nation and being honest with the people about the terrible events that had just occurred. Roosevelt, serving as the thirty-second president of the United States, was in his second term when the attack happened.

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941- a date which will live in infamy- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan” (1). These are the words Franklin Delano Roosevelt chose to begin his Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. FDR’s speech was a call to arms, and in his speech he expressed outrage towards Japan and confidence in inevitable triumph. The speech was a request to declare war against Japan and to bring the United States into World War II. FDR’s speech was successful in bringing the United States into World War II because FDR presented facts explaining why war needed to be declared and used righteous indignation

Former Commander in Chief and President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in his speech, “Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation,” discloses the details of Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Roosevelt’s purpose is to notify the nation about Japan’s aggressive naval actions and to petition Congress to declare war on Japan. He adopts a somber yet patriotic and confident tone in order to rally the citizens and members of Congress behind his proposal for war.

“December 7th 1941- A date that will live in infamy.” This opening statement is the first powerful line said by President Roosevelt to the American people after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This greatness of this opening line will be forever be ingrained in the minds of every American citizen, especially the people who lived during the most significant war of the 20th century. The bombing of Pearl Harbor is an event that can never be forgotten, and President Roosevelt’s speech in response to this appalling attack is just as significant. The objective of this speech was to urge Congress to declare war on Japan. Roosevelt’s speech after Pearl Harbor is one of the more recognizable and important speeches in all of American history. His speech incorporates bountiful instances of rhetorical devices, such as logos, pathos, and ethos. By analyzing these rhetorical devices, one is able to see Roosevelt’s vigorous use of emotion, his strength in addressing his character and reputation rather than focusing too heavily upon appeals to logic and reason, ultimately to get the result he wants from his audience. The profound power of this speech resonates with all who read and hear it.

Lyndon B Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, gave a speech in front of Congress that changed the nation’s way of thinking. Mr. Johnson’s speech on Voting Rights gave people with other ethnic values the right to vote as true Americans. He knew the exact words to say to further capture his audience’s attention, such as using religious and logical appeals to support his purpose. However, in his mind I think that he was a little worried that some citizens of the United States didn’t want that sort of change.

In his Inaugural Address, Roosevelt recognized America becoming a highly capable nation. As its influence spread, Roosevelt declared that America must become the force that establishes peace around the world. He states in his speech that the him and the American people have duties to ourselves and other people which are both of utmost importance. Because of this, Roosevelt wanted to make it known that a nation’s sense of justice and hospitality truly matter and are

Hours after Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japan, gaining worldwide headlines, giving millions unanswered questions, the speech, Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation was given one day after the event. On December 8th 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a speech to be remembered today, by using rhetorical devices and figurative language to strongly picture his message to the public, making great use of parallel structure, personification, parallelism, and climax ordering to enforce his key point of wanting Americans to stand up against the Japanese forces for the deliberate actions done towards there peaceful country, with no threat or hint of war or of an armed attack. With hopes of gathering support for the decision to declare war on Japan.

The famous speech, Pearl Harbor address to the nation by Franklin D. Roosevelt (president at the time) shows us a vast amount of rhetorical appeals: Pathos, Ethos, and Logos to the nation. This speech announced to us that the intended audience and the persuasion used in order to change the peoples’ minds to defend our nation. The Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation speech was given to tell the U.S. that Japan has initiated war by attacking Oahu, Hawaii; while also attacking islands on the Pacific coast. Roosevelt addressed to the nation the stance we must take in order to protect ourselves from Japan and from attacks in the future. It was also revealed that Japan deliberately planned and attacked Hawaii do to the distance between each other. The Japanese ambush caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. It was then that America made a move to attack the Japanese Empire on December 8, 1941.

The Pearl Harbor incident is an instant in history that changed our world views and also our standing in the world. During this time World War II was at its peak and the United States was going through a horrendous plunge in the stock market which threw us into the Great depression. But the bombing of Pearl Harbor is an event that will haunt our nation for the rest of history and is unforgettable due to what the nation went through after that incident. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, otherwise known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States and also the representative of the nation during this treacherous time. When the nation was broken and needed a little light of hope due to the horrible circumstances that they were put

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the empire of Japan.” This was spoken by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt during his Address to the Nation on December 8th, 1941. During President Roosevelt’s speech, he used logical appeals (logos), emotional appeals (pathos), and credibility appeals (ethos). Even though President Roosevelt was sitting in a wheel chair during his speech, it was still considered formal because he was the President. The reason this speech took place was to inform the nation about what Japan had done to our country and also to declare war.

Roosevelt also uses this main topic for the mood of his entire speech; detailing the hopelessness that these families feel during this crucial time. Another great rhetoric device that Roosevelt utilizes in his speech is that of religion. In the closing statement of his inaugural speech, Roosevelt asks that, “In this dedication of a Nation we humbly ask the blessing of God. May He protect each and every one of us. May He guide me in the days to come.”  His reference to God was added in an attempt to bring together the American people even in the greatest despair by using the topic most relatable for people, especially at this time. Roosevelt also declares that, “These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men.” Not only has he successfully engineered his speech in a way that puts audience members in the same state of mind, but he also goes on to enlighten these very same people to further instill hope and pride. Not only is this an effective rhetoric in his speech,

In his masterful first inaugural address, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt strove to inspire confidence and hope towards him, the government, and in the people themselves.Using the three parts of rhetoric, ethos, pathos, and logos, Roosevelt did three main actions that made the inaugural address succeed: while speaking of the evils of the depression, he contrasted it with reaffirming values of the American people, Roosevelt detailed his plan to make America get out of the depression, and finally, asked, not demanded, the people to put their faith in him. And through that, he managed to begin working to end the American Great Depression.

By listing each individual attack, Roosevelt depicted the Japanese people as villains and monsters to assist in the unification of all American citizens, for his vilification united the U.S. population under one common enemy: Japan. Additionally, the president displayed numerous tones throughout his speech; his first line provided his audience with a solemn and grave attitude that they were expecting with the word “infamy”. Furthermore, as he progresses with the speech, he acknowledged the countless American lives lost, thus provoking the vindictive nature within all humans. However, the public at this time were in fear and shock of the recent attack. Roosevelt alleviated their sense of panic and defeat by reassuring that justice will be sought and the nation will recover from the tragic devastation with a strength in their impending war with the Japanese--he gave them optimism and hope of a new future in spite of the recent occurrences

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a day which will live in infamy, the United States of America, was suddenly and deliberately attacked by Naval and Air Forces of the Empire of Japan," delivered by Franklin D. Roosevelt is regarded as one of the most important speeches given in US History to date. The speech was delivered to the State of the Union marking the United States' entrance into the Second World War against Japan and Germany.